Love Be Yours
by ladyshalott
Summary: A girl, broken and alone. A boy, alone and broken. A city that breaks those who live within, and leaves them crumbled and alone. Amidst such emptiness, can two damaged souls find wholeness together? Modern day AU, NaLu.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** In the future I won't put these at the beginning of chapters, but I need to get a bit of info across. This is a modern day, Fairy Tail AU. The main pairing will be a slowly-developing NaLu. Side pairings are Gajevy, Gruvia and Jerza. There may be additional pairings that pop up, but I have none in mind. This will be slow to be uploaded, so please forgive me for that. Now for the important stuff. I wanted to read a NaLu Fairy Tail story that fit a certain hurt/comfort mold, but was unable to find one that suited, so I began to write this, instead. If there is no interest in this fic, it will not be continued. However, if there is interest, I will see it through to completion, no matter how long it takes. This story is written from only one point of view, that of Lucy Heartfilia. It is, as I mentioned, a hurt/comfort/romance. It is rated "M" for a reason, and the following may be potential triggers for some readers: domestic violence, criminal violence, very light descriptions of sexual violence, PTSD, abandonment, co-dependency, very light descriptions of drug use and of course, politics. All situations (except for the criminal) come from either my own experiences, or that of close friends. However, any discrepancies are my own.

**Disclaimer: **Fairy Tail and associated characters belong to Mashima Hiro, et al. All other characters are my own creation.

* * *

_Can we pretend that airplanes_

_In the night sky_

_Are like shooting stars?_

_I could really use a wish right now…_

"Airplanes" B.O.B and Hayley Williams

There was a halo around the moon that night. It was red, blood red. Didn't that foretell bad luck? Lucy paused, wiped her eyes. No. The blood color was coming from her own fluid, dripping steadily down her face from her nose, mouth and numerous cuts on her face and hairline. She clutched her bad arm with her good and stumbled on.

God damn this rotten city. No one paused to help a girl in need, no one even looked at her twice, preferring to avert their eyes and avoid any trouble. She stumbled again. Where was her street? Certainly, she had gone too far. She was dizzy, and the blood kept flowing. She couldn't feel her fingers in her right arm. She thought it might be broken. It hadn't been the first fight between them, but it was certainly the worst. Lucy had no doubt that if she hadn't gotten away when she did, she would have lost her life. As it was, she couldn't help but wonder if it was not already hanging on the line. She was so tired…

"_You bitch!" He screamed at her, so angry that spittle flew from his mouth. "I told you to keep your fucking mouth shut about my business, and instead you went an blabbed it all to your daddy!"_

"_I didn't" Lucy whimpered, trying to get her split lips to function properly. "I swear I didn't say a word, Eli!"_

_He hit her, his fist sending her sprawling. Lucy had already tried to block one strike, and now her right arm ached and she had no feeling in her hand. Because she couldn't properly cushion her fall, she hit the side of her head on the floor and saw stars. Eli grabbed her by the shirt collar, lifting her up. His voice hissed out in a furious whisper. "If you didn't say anything, then how come the whole of Heartfilia Enterprises knows about the deals I've been making?"_

_She was crying, the tears making pink tracks on her bloody cheeks. "I swear to God, I don't know! I haven't talked to my father in months, you know that! Eli, please!"_

_He threw her down and began pacing, muttering to himself. "Jude is pretty closemouthed, but I don't know about his minions. If word of this gets to the D.A., I'm fucked. FUCKED, YOU HEAR ME?" The last words were bellowed at Lucy. She whimpered and held out her hands. _

"_Please, Eli, stop this. There has to be a solution. I'll talk to my dad, I'll work things out. Your reputation will be safe, I promise, just please, stop this."_

_He looked at her and she shrank back. All Lucy could see in her boyfriend's eyes was madness. His pacing ceased and he came over to her. Putting a hand to her cheek, he cradled her throbbing head._

"_Poor Lucy. Does it hurt? You know I never want to hurt you. But don't you see? You've betrayed me. What should I do with you now?"_

"_No…" She whispered. "No, I would not do that to you. I love you, Eli."_

_He tsked. "I love you, too, Lucy, and that's why this hurts me more than it hurts you." She didn't see his other hand come flying, missed the strike, but heard the sound of bone breaking and felt the warm slide of blood down her lips and over her chin. The pain was so intense that she was blinded by tears, and she didn't realize Eli had left her until she heard the sound of boxes moving in the bedroom. The bedroom… where he had a gun hidden in the closet._

"_I'm sorry it had to come to this, Lucy. I really am. But I can't leave any loose ends flapping about. I've got my career to think about…"_

_Lucy didn't hear the rest of his words. Understanding now just how far he was gone, and knowing exactly what he meant by loose ends, she staggered to her feet. Using the dining room table to leverage herself, she started for the front door. Her hand was on the knob when she heard him again. "Lucy?"_

_She fumbled with the knob cursing her useless right arm, and didn't dare to pause and look at him. Flinging the door open she forced her feet into a run. She could hear Eli approaching behind her, then she was bursting into the fire escape with only the sound of his voice echoing plaintively behind her. "Luuuucy!"_

Those five flights down the stairs had been the longest steps of her life. Lucy had been certain that at any minute, she would hear Eli behind her, or that he would fire a shot at her. She supposed that even a homicidal maniac had enough sense of self preservation not to go shooting up the public areas of the building he lived in.

Speaking of buildings… Lucy wiped her eyes again and looked around desperately. She was definitely not in her right mind, but the trip to her apartment from Eli's shouldn't be this long. She wanted to get home, call the police and take a trip to the hospital, in that order. Her purse and other personal items she had left behind in her haste, so she didn't have her mobile phone. Nor did she have her keys, for that matter, but she could get a spare from the Super. It seemed, however, in her delirium she had lost her way. She wasn't familiar with this part of Magnolia, and as she looked around she grew decidedly more uncomfortable. If she thought people went out of their way to avoid her in the nice part of town, on these streets folks were avoiding her like the plague.

It was easy to understand why. Magnolia was a city ripped apart by brutal gang warfare. Its proximity to the nation's border made the movement of all manner of illegal goods incredibly easy, and cartels from several neighboring nations had set up shop within the city limits. Respectable folks stayed near the city's bustling western business district, where the police still patrolled, and kept a modicum of order. The closer you got to downtown or the southern shipyards, the more dangerous the streets became. This was where the rival gangs fought for control and even your manner of dress could be the reason you ended up with a bullet in your brain.

Lucy was extremely dizzy, and extremely tired. She wanted nothing else but to just lay down forever and let the pain slip away. Desperate to keep her bearings, she searched for some sort of landmark. There, up ahead, a street sign. She went toward it, tripping several times but managing to stay upright.

"Ha… ci…enda." She muttered to herself. Hacienda Street? Was there such a place in Magnolia? Looking right, she could see what appeared to be an open establishment about a block away. Perhaps she could use the telephone. She started towards the lights she could see in the windows when a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her. She took another step, and this time the dizziness was accompanied by nausea. _Concussion…_ was her last thought before the blackness took her.

Voices buzzed in her ears like flies, and Lucy tried in vain to pull herself out from under the strange, grey fog that seemed to be blanketing her vision. She didn't know where she was or how she got here, all she could sense were the murmur of voices and a searing pain shooting down her right arm.

Voices… there were two. One, a rough male baritone coming from her left side. The other, a high female voice that sounded young. It seemed like the female was on her right. Perhaps related to the pain? Lucy couldn't string her thoughts together. Before she had a chance to make sense of anything, there was a prick in her arm and then giddy relief washed over her. She was unconscious again before she could understand what was happening.

The second time Lucy woke up it was to silence. She still couldn't seem to bring herself to full consciousness, but she was aware of what felt like a pillow under her head and a blanket over her lower body. There was no pain, still only a blissful lethargy and she wanted to float in that emptiness forever. She supposed she was in a hospital, yes, some good, gentle soul had taken pity on her. She didn't hear the beeping of a heart monitor or any other sounds she would normally associate with such a place, but Lucy attributed that to the darkness encroaching on her mind. Pleased, she let herself slide into nothingness.

When Lucy became conscious for the third time, she found herself fully awake and aware. Her body still seemed to be difficult to move, and she had a funny, giddy feeling about her, but she struggled to sit up. Her eyes felt like they were held together with glue as she peeled them open and looked around. This was not a hospital, or if it was, it was the most under funded hospital on the planet. The stark walls were cinderblock and nothing adorned them. There was no window, only a cheap plywood cabinet, laminate counter and metal door set in the opposite wall. The bed she was on was a standard twin bed with a lumpy mattress and itchy polyester blanket.

"What… where am I?" Lucy muttered to herself, while attempting to wiggle her toes. It seemed she had control over her body, except for her right arm, which was bandaged tightly and set in a sling. The more she attempted to move, the more pain was creeping in both her arm and her face. Gingerly patting herself, Lucy could feel swelling and several bandages, the largest being over her nose. Tiredness washed over her and Lucy thought about just laying back down and drifting back into comfortable oblivion.

A tremendous bang from outside the door startled that thought right out of her head. Lucy's heart raced as she listened desperately, trying to make out the sounds of anyone coming her way. She suddenly realized how vulnerable she was, and couldn't get the image of Eli coming to clean up loose ends out of her head. Forcing her body into motion, she slid off the bed and stood shaking. She was wearing only a real hospital gown, which someone had kindly cinched tight in the back, and her own clothes were nowhere in sight. She shuffled over to the cabinet, finding it easier (and more painful) to move with each step. Inside the cabinet were shelves full of regular first aid items, as well as some more interesting medical equipment, but no clothes. Shutting it again, Lucy stepped away from the cabinet and considered her options.

The Lucy from before would have sat down on the bed again and waited for someone to arrive. For more than a year now, she had been relying on Eli to guide her, and to make her decisions for her, so to be without his guidance felt unusual. Despite that, Lucy could remember a time when she'd been independent and fearless, and had never questioned herself. That Lucy was clawing her way to the forefront, screaming that she'd been there all along and it was about damn time. In her newfound burst of confidence, Lucy decided to leave her confinement, clothing be damned.

Trying the handle of the metal door found it to be unlocked, and Lucy peeked out into the hallway. It was a normal looking hallway, with fluorescent lights overhead and boring white linoleum underfoot. At one end of the hall was an emergency exit, at the other were three doors. The door to the right was unmarked but had the type of port hole you might see in a restaurant kitchen door. The door on the left had a little plaque on the front, but Lucy was too far away to make out the writing. The door in the middle was also unmarked but looked much like the door she had come out of. Picking her way down the hall, Lucy eyed the three uncomfortably. This close she could see the plaque on the left door read "Office". Lucy tried the handle. It was locked. She turned to the right and nearly came nose to nose with a girl coming through the swinging door. Lucy jumped back, while the other girl let out a yelp. She nearly dropped the tray she was carrying and Lucy made motion to grab it before a shooting pain in her arm halted her.

"Oh, gosh." The girl chuckled. "Oh, you frightened me."

Lucy didn't say anything, just stared at her tensely. The other girl shook her head. "This is terrible, you shouldn't be up! Is something wrong? Do you need more morphine? Wendy isn't here, so you'll have to wait."

Lucy took a step back, and cleared her throat. "M-morphine?"

"Oh, yes. You'd be in a lot of pain, otherwise. You have a pretty severe fracture to your ulna. It's going to hurt for several days. Along with that a myriad of cuts and bruises and a broken nose. Oh, but don't worry, it's set straight."

Lucy gulped. "Where am I?"

"Ah, ah. Well, this is something like a clinic? Among other things." The girl seemed nervous and it set Lucy on edge. She looked at the tray in the other girl's hand, noticing for the first time the covered plate and cup.

"I was just about to bring this to you", the girl nodded to the tray, "but it slipped when I tried the door handle. I had to prepare a fresh plate."

Lucy looked nervously between the girl and the emergency exit. Could she make a break for it? But she wasn't wearing any clothes. The girl was still talking.

"Come on, now, and let's get you settled again. By the time you finish eating Wendy should be in and you can have some more morphine."

"No!" Lucy was a little embarrassed by the volume of her voice, and took a deep breath. "No, thank you. I just want my clothes so I can leave."

"Your clothes? Oh dear. Well, I think they are around here somewhere, but their conditions are awful. If you wait, someone is supposed to be bringing you something."

Lucy felt her heart drop. "Eli? Eli is bringing me clothes?"

"Who? No, I don't think so. The last time I heard, Erza was going to bring something."

Erza? I don't…never mind. Can I just have my own clothes? I don't care about the condition. Just please, I want to go home."

The other girl looked hard at her but shrugged. "I'll get them." She disappeared back into the kitchen then returned empty handed. Taking a key from her pocket, she let herself into the office. A moment later she returned with Lucy's dirty, torn clothes.

Lucy took the garments. "Thank you…" her voice trailed off questioningly.

"Mirajane. Mirajane Strauss." The other girl smiled. "And you are?"

"Lucy." Lucy turned abruptly and headed back to the clinic room. Once inside, she struggled into her clothes, biting back curses as she avoided any movement with her bad arm. It wasn't easy and by the time she finished she was sweating with exertion and pain. Leaving the room again, she found Mirajane in the same spot that Lucy had left her.

"I really don't think you should leave." Mirajane said with a frown. "At least wait until someone can drive you home. The master will be here, soon, too and I'm sure he'd like… well you should speak with him."

Lucy shook her head. "No, thank you, I will be fine. However, I don't have my purse with me, so to reimburse you for your services, I will need to mail a check. To whom and where should I send it?"

Mirajane shook her hands in front of her. "Oh, no, no. Like I said, we're something of a clinic. We help those in this neighborhood that can't afford medical care. Reimbursement is not expected."

Lucy pressed. "Well, I can afford it. Please, I wouldn't feel right not offering repayment."

"Then, wait until the master gets here. You can work out a payment plan with him."

Lucy sighed. "Mirajane Strauss, right? I'll just mail you the check and you can do what you want with it." With that proclamation, Lucy turned through the middle door and marched out to the sound of Mirajane's protests.

The clinic, she saw, was not a clinic at all. It looked more like a tavern, with a bar on one side, tables and booths crowding the floor and billiards tables and pinball machines tucked into a corner. Despite the deserted room, the front doors were unlocked and Lucy stepped blinking into the grimy afternoon sunlight. She didn't know what day it was, or how long she'd been out, but she was ready to put this all behind her. She eyed the storefront out of curiosity but wasn't surprised that there was no name. In this part of town a charitable clinic wouldn't be safe, especially if they stocked drugs like morphine. Thinking that made Lucy realize just how stupid an idea it was for her to try and get home on her own, but stubborn pride prevented her from returning inside and asking Mirajane's assistance. Somehow, Lucy felt like she didn't want to be around when the so-called "master" returned, so escaping now was her best bet. She headed north, where she could see an east/west street about a block away. As long as she went west, she'd reach the business district sooner or later.

She was almost to the corner when a sleek black motorcycle turned that corner and rushed past her. She paused, followed it with her eyes to where it turned down an alleyway. Walking with a little more purpose, the eyed the street signs at the corner. Hacienda and Bank. That was good. Bank Street was one of the major thoroughfares in Magnolia. She just needed to get out of this neighborhood and she would be fine.

Right arm pressed tightly against her and back ramrod straight, Lucy set off, not noticing the person who stepped into place behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Fairy Tail (c) Mashima Hiro and used for entertainment only. Please see additional disclaimers in Chapter 1.

* * *

_Struggling from your voice inside my head  
But now everything's trying to drag me down  
But I'll rip the sky from the ground  
But tell me now, who's my saving one_

"Jesus or a Gun" Fuel

It was in the early evening when Lucy staggered through the doors of her apartment building. Jun, the doorman, gave her an odd look but said nothing about her torn, bloody clothes or bruises and bandages.

"_Of course not."_ Lucy thought bitterly. "_No one cares, in this town. Five years living here and not even an 'are you ok'."_ She managed to give him a slight smile anyways, and went inside. Once in, she quickly made her way to the superintendent's office, not bothering to knock when she got there. She was shocked to see the man at his desk.

"Lucy! What happened to you?" He exclaimed with surprise, getting a look at her.

Lucy's smile this time was genuine. Tom was good people, a grey-haired, pot-bellied man in his late fifties who had worked in her building since his youth. His eyes always sparkled with good humor, and he knew all the building residents and actually cared for their well-being. Unlike the mindless drones of the city outside, with Tom you could always find a listening ear and a word of advice. Of course, he would be the first to tell you that the advice he gave was questionable at best.

She shrugged off his concern. "I was in an accident. Been in the hospital." The lie came easily, Lucy was sorry to note. "I lost my purse and keys in the process. Mind letting me in my room?"

"Sure, sure." Tom rose to his feet. "But you know, your young man was here not two hours ago. I think he found your purse for you."

Lucy froze. "E..Eli was here?" She was please to hear her voice remain calm.

"Yep. Brought a whole mess'o stuff. Didn't say nothing to anyone though, bit surprised."

"Ah." Lucy managed, weakly. "Before the accident, we, uh, had a fight. So I am sure he's pretty upset. Is he… still here, do you know?"

Tom's face cleared. "Well, that explains it. Nah, boy left awhile ago. He was only around for a few minutes. Here we are." They paused in front of her door and he took a key from his key ring. Unlocking the door and swinging it open, he smiled at her. "That arm looks pretty nasty, Lucy. If you need anything, you just let me know."

"Thanks, Tom." She returned his smile before slipping inside.

The inside of her apartment was austere, furnished simply with no style to speak of. It always made her feel like she was walking into a hotel, and Lucy hated it. She had promised herself on more than one occasion to add a touch of her personal taste, but had never gotten around to it. As it was, the apartment was furnished and funded by her father and she had never really felt like the place was home.

She noticed them after only a second. Lying on the entrance table were her purse, keys, mobile phone and a bouquet of red roses. Blood red roses. Lucy felt a chill go down her spine and walked over to them as if in a trance. Picking up the flowers, she saw there was a card as well. Her fingers were shaking as she opened it.

_I'm sorry I scared you._

_Can we talk?_

_-Eli_

That was it. She hiccupped a laugh. _Scared me? He's only sorry he scared me?_ The laugh turned into a desperate sob and she crumpled the card in her hands. Dropping it, she buried her nose in the roses. They smelled so sweet, but Lucy felt she could detect the scent of decay permeating the blooms.

The hallway was littered with rose petals when Lucy finally made her way into the kitchen in a daze. Her stomach was grumbling and she kept remembering the tray of food which she had refused at that clinic. Glancing at her phone, she checked the day and time. Two days. She had been out for two days. Her phone showed no missed calls. Of course not. The only person who would call her would be Eli, and he knew she didn't have her phone.

No job, no friends, no life. Only Eli and a stipend from her father in the bank. Lucy clutched the granite countertop in an effort to hold back tears. How long had she been so isolated? She couldn't recall when it had begun. Too long…

The sound of a quiet scrape from the living room made her gasp. Was it… it couldn't be. Did Eli know she was back? Was he here? Lucy looked around for a weapon, and grabbed a chef's knife from the island counter. Edging towards the kitchen door, she peered around the frame. She didn't see anyone. Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves she called out, "Eli? Is that you?" No answer.

She heard what sounded like the whisper of fabric from the living room. Someone was definitely there. Creeping down the hall, knife clutched tightly, Lucy paused outside the room. She was weak, injured, vulnerable. She should make a run for it. The front door was just a few steps away, she could make it. Just a peek, to see the intruder and then… then she'd run. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, then braved a glance around the corner.

"Yo."

She screamed and the knife clattered to the floor. Lucy darted for the front door, but she wasn't fast enough. A warm, strong hand closed around her good arm and she slipped and fell to her knees.

"Whoa, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." His voice was a rough baritone that seemed oddly familiar, although Lucy was certain she had never met this man before in her life. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him. Black boots, black jeans and a black leather jacket filled her vision. She blinked and the threatening tears spilled over. All she could make out of his features was shockingly rose colored hair.

"What do you want with me?" Her voice wavered and Lucy hated herself for it. The guy dropped her arm and took a step back, running his hand through his hair.

"Nothing! I mean, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw you leave Fa… the clinic, and you looked pretty bad, so I tried to make sure you got home fine."

Lucy gasped and scrambled further away. "You were following me?!"

"No! Well, I did, but… shit." The guy crouched down and held out his hand, as if she were a frightened animal. "I found you on the street, the other night. You were in bad shape. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Lucy's frightened breaths were coming slower now. "Oh." She took in his features, now that she could see clearly. He was handsome, with a childlike openness to his face that made her want to like him, despite her reserves. She couldn't place his age, but she guessed he was only a little older than her own twenty-three years. Clutching her suddenly-aching right arm she leveraged herself to her feet. Once she was standing she eyed him again. "Who are you?"

He smiled cautiously, and she thought that it didn't suit him. "My name is Natsu Dragneel. I work at the clinic you stayed at."

"You mean the bar?" Lucy muttered under her breath, only to hear him chuckle. When she glanced at him again, his features smoothed out. "Is there anyone who can come stay with you? Your injuries are pretty bad."

"Yeah, I'll call a friend." Lucy lied smoothly, once again regretting how easy the lies and excuses had become. Natsu frowned at her. "Let me see your phone."

Surprised, Lucy found herself handing over the phone involuntarily. Would he see her empty call logs? The address book was still full, but she hadn't contacted any of those people in… how long had it been? Lucy hated to think about it. Natsu finished typing something in and handed the phone back to her.

"There, that's my phone number. You're Lucy, right? If you need anything just call me."

"Ah, okay." Lucy took the phone weakly. Natsu smiled at her and headed for the door.

"See ya around, Luce."

"Wait!" Lucy called out, surprising herself. Natsu paused. "How did you get in here?"

His grin was wide, infectious. Lucy felt the corners of her own mouth turning up in response as he called out "Window!" and left with a jaunty wave.

Lucy sat, in silence, for what seemed like an hour after Natsu left. She didn't think, didn't move. She listened to the silence of her apartment and _wished_.

_God, I wish for a chance to reclaim my life. I wish for family, or friends who love me. I wish for purpose. I wish I could redo these past two years. No, these past thirteen years. I wish I had made better choices. I hope I can make better ones now._

Her first choice would be putting her father's hateful money to good use. She picked up her phone and found a number she hadn't called in what seemed like forever. Lucy hoped it was still connected.

It was. After three rings someone answered. "Hello?"

Lucy gulped. "Hibiki? This is Lucy… Heartfilia."

Only a moment passed and the man on the other end began to laugh. "Lucy! Wow! How are you?"

She left out a breath of relief. "Not that great, really. God, Hibiki, I am sorry but I need to ask you a favor. Are you still good with computers?"

Hibiki Lates had been her boyfriend in middle school, but their relationship had been more like friends than romantic. Lucy had liked him because he was different, didn't fawn all over her because of who her dad was. Hibiki was easy-going, popular and handsome. These things all made excellent cover for the fact that he was one of the best hackers in the nation, and Magnolia's top information broker. To say he had been good with computers was an understatement.

There was another pause on the line, and then cautiously, "Yeah, why?"

"Well, I uh. Well, I got into some trouble and a girl helped me out. She said her name was Mirajane Strauss. I want to compensate her, but I need her address."

Hibiki chuckled. "Lucy Heartfilia. You call me out of the blue after not talking for more than five years, just to ask if I can find someone's address for you? That's basic, you or anyone at your dad's office could get that info from Source."

Lucy rubbed her eyes, frustrated. "I don't have a computer and I don't want my dad to find out. Hibiki, you are the only person I trust to do this."

A third pause, much longer than the first two. "Is this in regard to the trouble you mentioned?"

"It is."

"Okay, I will do it. But not as a favor, I want payment." His voice had taken on a teasing lilt.

Lucy chuckled, relieved. "All right. How much?"

"Ahh, Lucy, ever so pragmatic. I don't want money. How about we have lunch on Friday and catch up?"

Lucy hesitated. Before two days ago she would have said no, with no hesitation, but now? She thought about the wishes she had made. "Yeah, sure, that would be great. When and where?"

"Let's say one p.m. I know a place, but it is kind of a hole-in-the-wall. You probably haven't heard of it, but I think you will enjoy it. That is, if you still like French food?"

"Of course! So, Friday at one we'll…" She trailed off.

"Meet me at Parfum next to the Heartfilia Bank & Loan on the boulevard. And I will text you that address here in a minute."

"Sounds good. Hibiki, you're a star, thank you so much." The relief was evident in Lucy's voice. She hung up the phone and sat back, glancing at the window. _"I came through the window."_ echoed in her mind and she shuddered. She checked the latch to make sure it was secure then turned to the door. As she studied the lock a jolt went through her.

_Eli still has a key._ Realizing that he could come in at any moment, Lucy jumped for her phone. Calling the Super's cell phone, she held her injured arm tightly to her body in nervous anticipation. Hearing Tom's voice on the other line, Lucy quickly made up a lie about losing her house key, and asked if he could change her locks.

"Well, sure, Lucy. But I ain't got a new lock right now. It'll take about three days to order one from the locksmith."

Lucy wanted to cry. "Sure Tom, do that please."

"In the meanwhile, if you're scared, you could stay with that boy Eli."

The irony of it made a sort of giggle/sob break from Lucy's throat. "Yeah, all right. Let me know when the lock comes."

"Will do. Good night, Lucy."

Genuine tears were streaming down Lucy's cheeks. She had realized, vaguely, over the past two years that she was burning a lot of bridges. She hadn't realized the extent of her isolation until she had tried to call her former friends only to get… nothing. Most people did not even answer the phone, and the few who did were distant. It was true that she had been shallow, but all her relationships had been shallow too?

Her father had succeeded, Lucy realized. His goal had always been to segregate her, to keep her away from the population as a whole. She had gone to the schools he picked out, been friends with people he approved of, and even lived in the apartment he had chosen and paid for. After Eli's introduction to her life, it had only become worse. She was in a corner. She was alone.

She scrolled through her address book. There… there… there… remnants of a life controlled entirely by her father and Eli. There was… Natsu Dragneel?

Lucy paused, thinking about the odd guy. He was associated with that clinic, and the clinic was in a bad part of town. He had helped her, though, or so he said. And although he had followed her home, and broken into her house, he had not hurt her. She found there was something likeable about him.

Too unsure to call, Lucy tapped in a text message. **Hi, this is Lucy, from before. Got a minute?**

The phone buzzed just a second later and Lucy jumped not expecting a reply so quickly. In fact, it was Hibiki texting her Mirajane's address. _"Good to know_._"_ Lucy thought. If nothing else, she could show up on the woman's doorstep and beg clemency.

However, just a moment after that came Natsu's reply. **RUOK?**

**Yeah, but I think my apartment was robbed while I was gone. I am really afraid, but I don't have anywhere else to go. **By this point, the lies were so easy Lucy almost did not notice. A moment passed.

**U NEED HLP?**

God, he was daft. She ground her teeth and replied. **A place to stay, for a few days, until my locks are changed. Can you help me?**

**GOT IT. BRTHR. **The message came swiftly and Lucy squawked. "What! Argh!" Well, oh well, she supposed. Although she had changed earlier, she needed to throw a few things into a bag for an overnight stay. She was rummaging under the bathroom sink, looking for her travel hairdryer when a voice behind her caused her to scream and bang her already sore head.

"Hey, you said you need help?"

"Oh my god!"

"Whoa! Jesus, Luce, it's okay."

Lucy was clutching her chest, staring at him wildly. "How did you get in?"

Natsu scratched the back of his neck. "The window."

Not knowing how to reply, Lucy deposited the hairdryer in her tote with her other necessities. "All right. Well, I'm ready."

"For what?"

She looked at him incredulously. "To go. I told you, I need somewhere to stay for a few days?"

He looked at her blankly, and Lucy wondered if this had been the right idea. "You said that if I needed anything to call you. I need a place to stay for a few nights."

Natsu's face cleared up. "Oh, right! Yeah, definitely one of the girls will have a spare room. I can take you to Fa… the clinic."

Before Lucy could follow, Natsu was scooping up her bag and pulling her out of the room. She snatched her purse, half afraid he would shove her out the window but he held open her front door like a gentleman. Arguing was futile, she realized, and to press the matter further would make it seem as though she had a creepy need to stay with him. Better let him pawn her off on one of his friends. It was only three days.

They saw no one on their way out of the apartment except Jun at the front door. He looked at her, and then closely at Natsu but he did not say a word. Lucy was swept out to the street where Natsu stopped in front of a large, black motorcycle. Handing her tote back to her, Natsu climbed on, then held out his hand. "C'mon, Luce!"

Lucy hesitated. His smile was full of reckless, boyish charm and she thought it suited him much better than the small, pained smile of earlier. In that moment she realized how much she wanted to be free. Grabbing his hand, she swung onto the bike behind him. "_Goodbye to the old me."_ Was her fleeting thought as they pulled away.

* * *

Author's Note: Hi guys! Here I am! Okay, so I am positively thrilled by the reception the first chapter got and will definitely continue this story. Thank you so much, and please keep the feedback coming! A few notes on this and upcoming chapters:

1. I write slow but steady. I try to have two chapters written at a time, so as I am posting this, three is finished and I am starting on four. When I finish four I will post three and start on five, and so on. That way if I ever get in a slump I can still make an update. I also try to keep a uniform length, so all chapters should fall around 3k words.

2. There is going to be a lot of information and not so much action in the next few chapters but that will change, I promise. I do not foresee this being a very short story - I have a lot I want to work through, and I want to develop the NaLu romance at a logical rate. (It will happen! It will!) So if that isn't really your thing, please bear with me until I can make all the gang fighting and romance come around smoothly.

3. I will used established characters as much as I can within the AU setting so there may be some things that seem OOC. I hate this. I don't want to do this. But I also dislike inserting random original characters into lead slots if I can avoid it. Soooo... um, yeah, ha ha that's my creative choice. I apologize if it offends you and I will do my best to keep everyone in character.

That's it! Next chapter should be up in the next few weeks. As always, if you have any questions about the story, my writing progress or just want to chit-chat you can find me on Twitter or Tumblr. I am **rockermystic** both places. Thank you so much, until next time! xo


End file.
